Oka cheese

Oka
Country of origin	Canada
Region, town	The Laurentides, Oka
Source of milk	Cow
Pasteurised	Sometimes
Texture	semi-soft/creamy
Aging time	1–2 months
Certification	-

Oka is a semi-soft washed rind cheese that was originally manufactured by Trappist monks located in Oka, Quebec, Canada. The cheese is named after the town. It has a distinct flavour and aroma, and is still manufactured in Oka, although now by a commercial company. The recipe was sold in 1981 by Les Pères Trappistes to the Agropur cooperative.^[1]

It was also manufactured by Trappist Monks at the Our Lady of the Prairies Monastery, located 8 miles southeast of Holland, Manitoba. A small Manitoba producer learned the process from Brother Albéric, but stopped making unpasteurized Trappist cheese in 2019 because of the cost of provincial regulations.^[2]

Brother Alphonse Juin arrived at the Notre-Dame du Lac Monastery in Quebec in 1893 with a recipe for Port-du-Salut cheese. He "tweaked and adjusted" the recipe, and Oka was born.^[1] Since that time, Quebec has become a major producer of Canadian Cheese.

Oka cheese has a pungent aroma and soft creamy flavour, sometimes described as nutty and fruity.^[3] The cheese, which is made from cow's milk, is covered with a copper-orange, hand-washed rind. Its distinct flavour sets it apart from more common cheeses such as colby and cheddar, and does not go through a cheddaring process.

There are four types of Oka cheese:^[3]

• Regular is pasteurized cow's milk. It is ripened for four weeks. Several varieties of the regular version are also available including Ashed and Mushrooms and Truffle, as well as a limited edition Maple flavour.
• Classic is pasteurized and ripened for two months.
• Providence is of a much more creamy and soft texture than either 'Classic' or 'Regular'.
• Light is similar to 'Regular', but with a lower percentage of fat and always pasteurized.
• A Swiss style Oka has been introduced in regular and smoked varieties.
• An Oka-branded Raclette cheese is also available.

Oka cheese was heavily influenced by the work of the monks of the Cistercian Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac (fr. Abbaye Cistercienne d'Oka). Within a few years, through an affiliation with the Université de Montréal, the monastery created an agricultural school. Frequently called the Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Lac, the Trappist monastery became well known for its Port-Salut cheese, made from a Breton recipe brought with them from France.

• Trappista cheese – Type of cheese developed in Europe, a Trappist cheese from Europe
• List of cheeses – List of cheeses by place of origin